Someone has said that Christians are living in the land of the dying, going to the land of the living. Sounds spot on to me. It does seem like the here and now is in mortal decline, particularly in moral terms. Television and film are crammed with tacky raunchiness. I’m so sick of a certain four-letter word. And that’s but the tip of the melting iceberg.

Certainly not much is getting better. Again, that sinking feeling. Reading Psalm 39, I note a timely insight from God’s Word. That life whizzes by like greased lightning, whatever that is. But we get the point. Here today, gone tomorrow. Approaching my 80s seems impossible. That someone has tricked me into thinking I’m this old…as dirt. Roaming around like an old goat. No comments from those of you in the Peanut Gallery. If you know about that Gallery, you’re no spring chicken either! Howdy Doody to you, too!

Let’s get serious for a change, Fischer. Okay, I hear you. You’re right. So, take a gander at Psalm 39: 5–‘Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!’ And then at verse 11–‘…surely all mankind is a mere breath!’ Like me, an old coot, the psalmist David repeats himself… to reinforce what we already know. That life goes by quickly. Before we know it, it’s over. So what? Nothing new there. Seems obvious, doesn’t it?

What I notice is that the Hebrew word ‘selah’ appears after these two verses. Do you see them? Two of them. Now it’s true that no one knows exactly what ‘selah’ means. Not just here but elsewhere in the Book of Psalms, where you’ll find ‘selah’ scattered hither and yon (I’ve been reading Shakespeare again!).

But the meaning of ‘selah’ has been lost. Theories abound. Musical notations? Possibly. Instructions to worship leaders? Could be. But I’m wondering if ‘selah’ means that readers/listeners should stop, pause, put on the brakes, and reflect on what’s been said?

If so, if stopping is needed after reading these two verses from Psalm 39, what gives? King David urges us to slow down. Think about our lives. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Stop running on all sixteen cylinders. Halt horsing around. Don’t giddy up for a bit. Mosey on over to the campfire. Grab a cup of cowboy coffee. Rest your boots and pray. Think about your Lord. Spend quiet time with God. Open your Bible, hearing what your Lord has to say. Listen, already, for a change. Don’t hurry. Enjoy the moment. Even when the world rushes headlong, you-know-where. Especially then.

Selah!

Lord Jesus, in quietness today, I praise you for your love and patience. Amen.